New Year's Resolution
New Year's Resolution is an entry into THAC XIV which introduces the character Zac Fernstein. The film tells the story of the main character who, after losing his job, turns his life around in order to improve his self-discipline. Film Details * Release Date: January 8, 2017 * Running Time: 2 min. * MPAA Rating: G * Director: Andrew Bermudez * Producer: Andrew Bermudez * Writer: Andrew Bermudez Plot Summary The film opens inside Zac Fernstein's apartment, where he is sound asleep. He is woken up by a phone call from his supervisor, who informs him that he has been fired from his job at Amenity Warehouse. Slumping in defeat, Zac decides that, since the new year is approaching, he is going to make some New Year's resolutions. Throughout the first few months of 2017, Zac is showcased as making the conscious choice to take the high road again and again. He not only changes his diet and exercises more, he also disciplines himself to keep to his schedule. Eventually, his changes not only lead him into a relationship with Jessica Thompson, but also land him a new job, this time at New Silicon Networks. Production History In 2016, a press release on the Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Press Room confirmed that all future THAC and BRAWL entries by the studio would be squarely focused on introducing new characters from upcoming films and telling a bit of their history. This was partly done to keep the main focus on flagship films, such as Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra and A Future in the Past. On December 5, 2016, it was announced on bricksinmotion.com that THAC XIV would be held January 7, 2017 within the same format as the previous year. As always, the theme and mod elements were held on embargo until the day of the contest. However, long before the announcement, Mustache Maniacs Film Co. had already confirmed their planned participation. Pre-production, production, and post-production all took place on the day of the contest, including the formal announcement of the film. The film itself was released the next day, January 8, 2017. Audience Reception While audiences complimented the film in its technical aspects, most people were lukewarm towards the film in general, saying that Zac too easily achieves his goals. The film was quickly forgotten, as audience attention turned back towards past films, such as Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo and Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle. Characters * Zac Fernstein (Ian Wood) * Boss (Mary Charles) * Professional (Jay Silver) Credits * Andrew Bermudez - Writer; Director; Animator; Editor; Composer * Teresa Bermudez - Script Editor; Set Construction * Al Bermudez - Set Construction * Ian Wood - Voice Actor * Mary Charles - Voice Actor * Jay Silver - Voice Actor Tropes New Year's Resolution uses examples of the following tropes. * All There in the Manual: Only the production materials state the names of the companies and facilities featured in this film. They are, in order of appearance: ** Amenity Warehouse - The company that fires Zac Fernstein. ** Jim's Gym - The gym where Zac works out in the montage. ** New Silicon Systems - The company that hires Zac at the end of the film. * Compressed Vice: It's never stated what vices have caused Zac Fernstein to lose his several jobs, though he is shown at the beginning of the film as being late for work. He gets better. * Continuity Nod: It's an extremely minor, all-there-in-the-manual one, but the name of the company that hires Zac Fernstein at the end of the film is New Silicon Systems, the same corporation that once employed, then fired, Ogel. * Early-Bird Cameo: Who does Zac Fernstein meet outside the movie theater? That's Jessica Thompson, one of the main characters in B.I.O. Corps. * Exploding Calendar: A variant occurs when the montage of Zac fulfilling his resolutions is overlaid with an image of a calendar. It follows down to the end of the month during the montage. * Hard-Work Montage: Zac Fernstein is shown, in montage form, following through on his resolutions. * New Job as the Plot Demands: 'At the end of the film, Zac Fernstein lands a job at New Silicon Systems. * 'New Year's Resolution: The name of the film is the name of the game. This trope is subverted, however, when Zac Fernstein actually follows through with his resolutions. * No Antagonist: Zac overcoming his vices is all that this film is about, with no villains in sight. * Rudely Hanging Up: After the phone call at the beginning of the film, Zac's former boss hangs up after saying that he's fired. Trivia * This is Mustache Maniacs Film Co.'s first film where the entire cast was found through online casting. * A majority of the film's sets were actually built as one set, where the walls were built in the shape of a Greek cross. This created four sets in one, where each quarter was one of four rooms or establishments: Jim's Gym, Zac's Kitchen, New Silicon Networks, and unused backstage space. * The part of Zac Fernstein was cast with the disclaimer that whosoever plays that character has to reprise the role for B.I.O. Corps and Legends of the Universe. * Throughout the film, the letter mod element, B, is never used. Only the color mod elements, red and blue, are used. External Links * Official Film Page * Film on YouTube * Film on BricksinMotion Category:Movies Category:Animation Category:Contest Entry Category:2017